Caregiver Starter Kit: 5 Resources

Navigating a lung cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming not only to the patient but to their caregiver as well. It’s normal to feel lost or confused and not know where to start or what resources to ask for. Because a cancer diagnosis is a family diagnosis, LUNGevity wants caregivers to know they don’t have to go through it alone. There are resources available to help caregivers take care of their loved ones as well as themselves. Here are 5 important caregiver resources to help with your loved one’s lung cancer diagnosis. 

Our Dream Was to Start a Family, but Lung Cancer Changed Everything

Read time: 6 minutes.

After a few unimpressive encounters I experienced in real life, I tentatively returned to the Match dating app. That’s where I stumbled upon a very sweet, kind-hearted, nerdy, and compassionate man. Then I met Nate (Ha! Just joking). It was Nate. We bonded so quickly during which we identified our life goals. 

One goal was to have a family.  

Breathe Easy: Navigating Stress Through the Holiday Season

Our meetup on Wednesday, December 17, featured guest speaker Daniel Huvard, LCSW, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, who provided tips on managing stress during the holiday season while living with lung cancer. 

In case you missed the meetup, below is a short video Daniel recorded covering practical coping strategies to help you care for your well-being during this time.

Eating Healthy on the Mediterranean Diet

Read time: 3 minutes.  

Oncology dietitian Lori Bumbaco takes us on a culinary journey, exploring why experts consistently rank the Mediterranean diet as the number one choice for healthy eating. In addition to the studied health benefits, Lori highlights the unique foods and flavors that make this diet special and provides simple, practical tips on how to incorporate them into your daily meals. 

Advice and Insights from Author and Two-Time Cancer Survivor Kathy Giusti

Kathy Giusti joined LUNGevity for a special conversation about her life as a cancer patient, caregiver, and the founder and former CEO of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Her involvement with the medical system from these different perspectives inspired her to write her recent book, Fatal to Fearless: 12 Steps to Beating Cancer in a Broken Medical System

You can watch the full 40-minute conversation with Kathy or use the timestamps below to learn more about the topics and advice discussed. 

Caregivers: Planning the Self-Care Journey

This webinar explains the phases of the caregiving cycle and offers tips and strategies for meeting the challenges of each phase.  

The discussion features Michelle Bolden, founder and chief education officer for Call For Caring Inc., a nonprofit organization educating and uplifting family caregivers in Atlanta. Michelle also hosts two podcasts -- "Call For Caring on Purpose" and "The Empowerment Hour."  

Helpful Apps for People Living with Cancer

As mobile apps become more ingrained in our lives, it’s natural to look for ones that can help manage a cancer diagnosis. As for which app to choose, it really comes down to what you’re looking for, what you’re comfortable with, and what fits your needs.  

This list of helpful apps for people living with cancer includes ones that range from very basic, essentially a mobile pen and piece of paper, to all-in-one solutions that make medication tracking, document management, and communication easier. 

Finding (Mental) Peace this Holiday Season

The holidays are stressful enough without having to deal with lung cancer. LUNGevity is here to help.

This discussion of the mental health challenges we face in the lung cancer community includes strategies for coping with a lung cancer diagnosis, stigma, and holiday anxiety. With the daylight getting shorter, we also discuss tips to address seasonal affective disorder. The free support programs and services available through LUNGevity for patients and caregivers are highlighted.

This webinar originally aired on 11/14/23 as a Facebook Live event.